Door-operating mechanism



June 29 1926.

w. SATTELE D`OOR OPERATING MEGHANISII Filed April 7. 1923 INVENToR.

AHORA/Ew Patented June 29, 1926.

UNITED STATES WILLIAM SATTELE, 0F CLEVELAND, OHIO.

noon-OPERATING Meenemen.

i Application led April l7, 1923. Serial Nb. 630,532.

The present improvements have more particlar regard to electro-magnetic mechanism for operating doo-rs, such, for example, as the sliding doors employed on elevator cages, street cars and the like. It will be understood, however, that such mechanism may be equally well employed for moving swing doors and for use in a variety of connections other'than the one to which reference is thus specically made.

One principal object of the invention is to provide an automatic cut-out whereby the supply of current to the actuating solenoids is vinterrupted when the 'door or'other part to be moved reaches the limit of its movement in either direction. -Another object is to provide an improved arrangement of solenoids and connections between same and such door or the like, whereby all the parts will be extremely compact and maybe disposed in a limited space, as is frequently necessary.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, said invention, then, consists of the means hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims; the annexed drawing and the following demec anism embodying the invention, such disclosed means constituting, however, but one of various mechanical forms in which the principle of the invention may be used.

In said annexed drawing Fig. 1 is an elevational view of my improved mechanism shown as connected with a sliding door forthe purpose of opening and closing same; Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the solenoi'ds that form a feature of such mechanism, together with a diagrammatic representation of the electric circuits and control devices associated with such solenoids; and Fig. 3 is a similar sectional view on a larger scale of one end of such solenoid mechanism. I,

As indicated, I have shown my improved mechanism in Fig. 1 as connected with a sliding door 1, such door being there shown in its closed position. The parts of the mechanism, so far as they appear in the figure in question, comprise a `solenoid casing 2 disposed to lie in approximately the same plane as such door, and to one side thereof, such casing being pivotally supported at its .lower end upon a block 3 vresting on the ioor, while the upper end of an amature plunger 4, reciprocable within said scripltion setting 'forth in detail certain casing, projects beyond the upper free end of the latter, and is there pivotally attached to one arm of a bell crank lever 5, the other arm of which is pivot-ally attached to a block 6 on an adjacent wall or like support'. A bar 7 constitutes in effect the third arm of said bell crankUlever and is connected byv means of a link 8 with the door in such Two separate solenoid windings 10 and 11 1 are included in end to end relation in casing 2, the coils of said windings being so arranged, having regard to the direction of iow therethrough, that the 'first when energized will exert a downward pull on an armature 12, while the other when energized will cause said armature to move upwardly. The plunger 4 consists of a rod attached at its inner end to said armature, as shown in detail in Fig. 3. Said rod carries a shell 13 which is made of brass or equivalent conducting material and is insulated from the rod by means of a sheath 14 of fiber or the like, said shell terminating short of the respective ends of the rod so as to cooperate with certain relatively stationary contacts 15, 16 and 17, as will now be described. i

These contacts are mounted in a head 18 of insulating material that forms the upper end of the solenoid structure and is rigidly connected with the lower end 19 thereof by a tube 20 of non-magnetic material, as, for

example, brass, on which the coils 10 and 11 are wound, a disk 21 serving to separate suchcoils at their adjacent ends. The plunger rod 4, it will be understood, should likewise be made of brass or-equivalent nonmagnetic material. The contacts 15, 16 and 17 are connected with a series of bindin posts 15, 16B and 17* on the head 18, an

are held, by means of corresponding compression springs, in slidable engagement with the brass tube 13, or, as the latter is carried. pastone or the other of the outermost of said contacts, against the insulation layer 14, which is enlarge'd at the respective ends of said tube to the same diameter as the latter. Y

Referring to Fig. 2, it will be noted that the one main lead 25 is connected with the adjacent ends of the two solenoid windings 10 and 11 and with the binding post 16, which is designed at all times to remain in contact with conductor member 13 on the armature plunger 4. The other lead 26 of the main circuit is subdivided, one branch going to the movable element 27 of a manually operated controller, while the other similarly goesto a movable element 28 of an automatic circuit breaker, such member 28 being adapted to close the circuit to one or the other of solenoids 10 and 11, depending upon whether it is closed;y with contact 29 or 30. Such actuation of circuit breaker member 28 follows the closing of controller member 27 with one or the other of contacts 31 and 32 in secondary circuits .33 and 34 that, are respectively connected with binding posts 17*1 and 15, and that respectively include solenoids 35 and 36 having a common armature 37 connected with said member 28.

The manner in which such controller and circuit breaker operate will now be brieiy set forth. In the normal position of the movable controller member 27 the circuit is not closed with either of contacts 31 and 32. Neither of the corresponding solenoids 35 and 36 is accordingly energized, and the movable circuit breaker 28 is in neutral position, as shown in said Fi 2. If now desired to energize coil 10 of t e main solenoid, as will be necessary to raise armature 12 and thus open the door 1, controller member 27' is moved to close with contact 31, as a result of which current is free to flow through circuit 33, including Solenoid 35, to binding postl 17a ,and corresponding contact 17. The latter, as shown in Fig. 3, is in electrical connection with binding post 16 through conductor member 13, and so the circuit is completed through the branch of lead 25 that is connected with the correisponding binding post 16a. Upon thus energizing solenoid 35 circuit breaker member 28 is closed with Contact 29 and thus the circuit is closed through the desired coil 10 ofthe main solenoid.- As soon, however, as the armature 12 has been raised to a point where the lower end of conductor member 13 on plunger 4 is carried past contact 17, the secondary circuit 33 will obviously be broken, irrespective of whether control mem ber 27 is moved to break such secondary circuit or not. The interruption of the flow of current through said circuit 33 leaves circuit breaker member 28 free to resume its normal position, wherein the circuit through both of the main solenoid coils is broken, and, as a result, movement of the armature vided the means stated by any e 12 is stopped. In the upper position of armature 12, it will be evident that while conductor member 13 has been carried past Contact 17, it now bridges contacts 15 and 16 so that upon moving controller member 27 in the o posite direction from that just described, t e other secondary circuit will be closed and the lower coil 11 of the main solenoid thus energized. Such reverse operation in other respects is identical with that just explained in connection with the energization of coil 10, and need not be set forth with further detail.

Other modes of applying the principle of my invention may be employed instead of the one explained, changebeing made as regards the mechanism herein disclosed, proof the following claims or the equiva nt of such stated means be employed.

I therefore particularly. point out and distinctly claim as my invention 1. In mechanism of the. character described, the combination of a pivoted support carrying two aligned solenoids, an armature reciprocable withinl said solenoids, the vlatter being arranged when energized to move said armature in opposite directions, respectively; a rod of nonfmagnetic material projecting from one end of said armature and arranged for external connection with a part` to be operated; a longitudinally extending conductor memberattached to but insulated from said rod; three contacts aligned with and slidably engaging said member, the latter passing beyond the farther contact when said armature reaches the end of its movement in either direction; electromagnetic circuit making and breaking means adapted to energize either such solenoid as desired; and manually operable means for setting said circuit making and breaking means, the circuits through the latter includin said contacts and conductor member, w ereby such last named means are released when the armature has been moved a predetermined distance.

2. In mechanism of the character described, the combination of a rigid support pivotally attached to a ixed point at one end; two aligned solenoids lcarried by said support; an armature reciprocable within said solenoids, the latter being arranged when energized to move said armature in opposite directions; electromagnetic circuit making and breaking means adapted to energize either such solenoid as desired; and manually operable means for setting said circuit making and breaking means, the circuits through the latter including contacts and a conductor member, whereby such last named means are released when the armaj ture has been moved a predetermined distance, a bell-crank having one arm pivotally attached to a fixed point adjacent the free end of said support, another arm of said bellcrank being pivotally connected withthe corresponding end of said armature; and means fonconnecting the remaining arm of said bell-crank with a part to be operated.

3. In fmechanism of the character dep scribed, the combination of a rigid support pivotally attached to a fixed point at one end; two aligned solenoids carried by said sup ort; an armature reci rccable within sai solenoids, the latter when ener ized to move said armature in opposite irections; circuit making and breaking means to energize the respective eing arranged solenoids; manually operable means for-setl5 ting said circuit making and breaking means,` a' bell-crank having one arm pivotally attached to a fixed point adjacent the ture; and a link connectinghthe remaining i arm of said bell-crank -wit a part to be operated, said link and last named arm,

when at rest in door closing position formin an automatic lock.

gned by me this 5th day of A ril, 1923.

. WILLIAM SA Y LE. 

